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Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

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http://www.archive.org/details/forwardpassinfooOOberriala 


THE  FORWARD  PASS 
^       IN  FOOTBALL. 


SOUTHERN  BRANCH, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

i_DS  ANGLES,  CALtF. 

ELMER  BERRY,  B.S.,  M.P.E. 

Head  Coach  Foo'ba'l  anl  Bischall,  Associile  Director  Physical 

Departmenl,  Professor  Physiology  and  Physiology  of 

Exercise,  Inlernilional  Yo:mg  Men's  Christian 

Association  College,  Springfield,  Mass. 


NEW  YORK 

A.  S.  BARNES  AND  COMPANY 

1921 

52851 


Copyright,  1921,  by 
A.  S.  BARNES  AND  COMPANY 


THIS  WORK   IS  AFFECTIONATELY   DEDICATED 
TO 

FORMER   COACH 

SPRINGFIELD   Y.  M.  C.  A.-   COLLEGE   FOOTBALL  TEAMS, 

THE  MAN  WHO  EARLIEST  DEVELOPED  THE  FORWARD  PASS, 

FOR  TWENTY-FIVE   YEARS   A   SUCCESSFUL   COACH 

AND 

A  STANDAND-BEARER   OF   CLEAN   SPORT 


^  CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  I 

PAGE 

The  Coming  of  the  Forward  Pass i 


CHAPTER  II 
K 
«\) 
^i.      Legal  Restrictions  Relative  to  the  Forward  Pass 


CHAPTER  in 
The  Spiral  Pass  from  Center 


to  CHAPTER  IV 

^       The  Technique  of  Forward  Passing 8 


CHAPTER  V 
Fundamentals  of  the  Sjjccessful  Forward  Passing  Game     i  i 

CHAPTER  VI 
Suggestive  Forward  Pass  Formations  and  Plains      .      .      19 

CHAPTER  VII 
Defense  for  the  Forward  Pass 23 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

Fig.  I.  Punt  Formation  Pass 19 

Fig.  2.  Undesirable  Pass 20 

Fi«.  3.  Springfield-Carlisle  Indian  Pass      .....  21 

Fig.  4.  Spread  Formation  Pass     . 21 

Fig.  5.  Open  Defense      .    .         24 


THE  FORWARD   PASS  IN   FOOTBALL 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  COMING  OF  THE  FORWARD  PASS. 

Introduction. 

The  history  of  football  has  been  a  story  of  limiting  the  power 
of  the  offense.  The  defense  has  never  been  restricted,  never 
curtailed,  never  hampered,  always  free  to  line  up  as  it  chose,  to  go 
when  it  pleased  (barring  offside),  where  it  pleased  and  do  prac- 
tically as  it  pleased.  Always  the  offense  has  been  too  strong,  too 
powerful,  and  there  has  been  the  necessity  of  legal  restrictions 
directed  toward  equalizing  the  attack  and  defense.  This  was  true 
in  general  up  to  the  "revolution"  when  ten  yards  and  the  forward 
pass  came  and  the  "new"  game  was  created. 

With  the  forward  pass  a  great,  new,  unknown  offensive 
weapon  was  provided.  The  history  of  the  game  since  the  grant- 
ing of  this  new  method  of  attack  has  again  been  chiefly  a  story 
of  limiting  the  power  and  effectiveness  of  this  new  offense.  To 
be  sure  minor  changes  in  the  rules  have  had  other  motives  and 
objectives,  but  taking  it  by  and  large  the  statement  is  true  to 
fact. 

A  brief  review  of  the  conditions  of  the  "old"  game  will  recall 
to  players  and  spectators  of  that  period  the  situation,  and  perhaps 
help  all  of  us  to  better  appreciate  and  understand  the  changes  that 
brought  the  "new"  game. 

Mass  plays  predominated.  Possession  of  the  ball  was  vastly 
important.  Five  yards  were  to  be  made  in  three  downs.  If  a 
man  six  feet  tall  could  fall  forward  his  full  length  three  times 
he  would  make  six  yards  and  first  down.  Consequently  "fall  for- 
ward," "get  your  distance,"  were  slogans  of  the  old  game.  End 
runs,  though  they  might  occasionally  succeed  brilliantly,  were  apt 


2  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

to  lose  precious  distance  that  could  not  be  regained.  If  a  team 
won  the  toss  and  took  the  ball  there  was  practically  nothing  but 
a  fumble  between  them  and  a  touchdown,  and  games  between 
evenly  matched  teams  were  often  really  decided  by  the  luck  of 
the  toss  at  the  beginning  of  the  game.  For  with  even  weight  and 
particularly  with  a  slight  advantage  of  weight  in  the  line,  a  safe, 
conservative  game,  straight  ahead,  slow  but  sure,  tackle  to  tackle, 
hammer  the  weak  spot,  was  sure  to  bring  the  ultimate  touchdown. 
All  sorts  of  ingenious  formations  were  devised  for  massing  power 
on  the  weak  spot.  The  famous  "guards  back"  of  Pennsylvania, 
the  "flying  wedge"  of  Deland  of  Harvard,  the  "turtle  back" 
wedge  of  others,  the  rolling  mass  on  tackle  and  others  of  this  type 
will  bring  a  smile  of  reminiscence  to  "old-timers."  Men  were 
pushed,  dragged  and  hauled  along  by  their  team  mates.  Often 
special  straps  were  attached  to  the  uniform  to  facilitate  this  work, 
and  even  to  make  possible  throwing  a  man  bodily,  feet  first,  over 
the  prostrate  lines. 

Doubtless  many  men  were  severely  injured  by  the  splendid 
co-operative  efforts  of  their  own  team  mates  in  such  activity. 
Such  a  game  meant  pounding — pure,  unadulterated,  gruelling 
pounding — until  the  selected  spot,  groggy  and  exhausted,  gave 
way  and  the  opponents  swept  through  to  victory  or  a  substitute 
leaped  in  to  fill  the  breach.  Men  came  out  of  such  games  in  those 
days  bruised  and  exhausted,  no  definite  injury  but  "dead,"  "all  in." 
They  were  worse  the  next  day  and  still  worse  the  next,  dragging 
back  ready  for  another  gruelling  pummelling  by  the  following 
Saturday.  Internal  injuries  often  developed  and  an  unwarranted 
large  number  of  deaths  occurred.  The  game  was  too  rough ;  dan- 
gerously rough ;  unnecessarily  rough. 

Closely  linked  with  this  aspect  of  the  "old"  game  was  the  moral 
problem.  Everything  was  hidden  in  the  mass  play.  Spectators 
could  see  little  of  the  real  game,  nothing  of  the  "dirty  work." 
Much  of  it  could  not  be  seen  even  by  the  officials.  Publicity  is 
a  great  deferrent  to  unfairness.  No  man  wants  the  spectators  in 
the  stands  to  see  him  "pull"  any  "raw  stuff."  Close  lines,  petty 
irritations  and  difficulty  of  detection  tempted  many  a  man  to  foul 
play.  We  would  like  to  think  that  the  cleanness  and  high  stand- 
ard of  sportsmanship  of  the  new  game  is  an  indication  of  rising 
character  and  realization  of  ethical  values  of  sport.  Doubtless 
it  is,  but  at  the  same  time  no  small  part  of  it  is  due  to  the  open- 


THE  FOR^VARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  3 

ness  of  the  new  game ;  the  fact  that  not  only  officials  but  spectators 
can  see  most  of  what  happens.  The  brutality  of  the  old  game, 
the  deaths  and  injuries  from  it,  its  moral  effect,  and  finally  even 
its  lack  of  interest  to  spectators,  led  to  a  general  outcry  against 
football.  There  was  a  wide  demand  that  it  be  abolished  as  an 
intercollegiate  sport.  In  1906  a  conference  was  called  in  New 
York  for  this  purpose.  Representatives  from  approximately 
seventy  colleges  attended. 

Fortunately  for  American  youth  there  were  in  the  conference 
men  of  vision  who  saw  the  real  need  of  the  hour.  These  men 
urged  that  the  difficulty  was  not  with  football  but  with  the  way  in 
which  it  was  allowed  to  be  played ;  that  the  college  faculties  were 
themselves  responsible  for  the  condition  in  that  they  had  given 
no  adequate  supervision  to  athletics ;  that  the  game  should  not  be 
abolished  but  revised.  They  contended  that  a  new  game  should 
and  could  be  produced  that  would  be  more  open,  less  dangerous 
and  more  interesting  than  the  old  game.  Their  counsels  ultimately 
prevailed  and  the  conference  that  had  met  to  abolish  football 
formed  what  has  become  the  National  Collegiate  Athletic  Asso- 
ciation, an  organization  that  has  done  a  wonderful  work  in  raising 
the  standards  of  sport  in  our  American  colleges.  The  conference 
appointed  a  football  rules  committee,  which,  amalgamating  if  pos- 
sible with  the  old  football  rules  committee,  was  to  adopt  rules 
that  would  revise  the  game  of  football — that  would  make  it  a 
new  game. 

What  showid  be  done  to  produce  a  more  open,  less  dangerous, 
more  interesting  game  of  football?  Remember  that  the  old  mass 
game  had  resulted  from  five  yards  in  three  downs.  The  first 
fundamental  suggestion  was  the  requirement  of  ten  yards  to  gain. 
This  could  never  be  made  by  mass  attack.  Consequently  the  for- 
ward pass  was  given  to  the  offense — practically  the  one  great  oc- 
casion of  legislation  favoring  the  offense.  In  1912  a  fourth  down 
was  added.  With  ten  yards  in  four  downs  and  the  forward  pass 
as  the  fundamentals  the  modem  game  of  football  has  been  de- 
veloped. Other  changes,  often  important  and  far-reaching  in 
influence,  followed,  but  they  followed  naturally,  logically,  almost 
imavoidably,  once  the  fundamentals,  ten  yards  and  the  forward 
pass,  had  been  accepted. 


CHAPTER  II. 

LEGAL  RESTRICTIONS  RELATING  TO  THE 
FORWARD  PASS. 

The  first  suggestion  of  a  recognition  by  the  football  rules 
committee  of  any  need  of  a  more  open  game  came  in  1903.  Be- 
tween the  twenty-five  yard  lines  seven  players  of  the  offense  were 
required  on  the  line  of  scrimmage  and  the  first  man  receiving  the 
ball  from  the  snapper-back  might  run  with  it  provided  he  crossed 
the  scrimmage  line  five  yards  out  from  center  ( Football  Guide  for 
1903,  pp.  127  and  142),  Between  the  twenty-five-yard  line  and 
the  goal,  however,  only  five  men  were  required  on  the  line  of 
scrimmage.  In  that  case,  however,  restrictions  were  adopted  re- 
quiring the  men  to  be  back  five  yards  or  outside  the  end  men.  In 
1904  came  the  "checker  board"  field. 

With  1906  came  the  great  revolution  and  the  adoption  of  the 
new  game ;  two  lines  of  scrimmage,  six  men  regularly  on  the 
line  of  scrimmage,  center  trio  back  five  yards  if  not  on  the  line 
of  scrimmage,  ten  yards  in  three  downs  and  the  Forward  Pass. 
It  is  with  the  last  that  we  are  concerned.  (Football  Guide  for 
1906,  pp.  95  and  121.) 

At  first  one  forward  pass  could  be  made  by  any  player  any- 
where behind  his  line  of  scrimmage  to  any  player  on  the  end  of 
the  line  or  one  yard  back  of  it  provided  the  pass  crossed  the  line 
five  yards  out  from  center.  It  was  completed  if  touched  by  any 
eligible  player  before  it  touched  the  ground.  Any  illegal  pass  went 
to  the  opponents  at  the  spot  from  which  the  pass  was  made.  A 
forward  pass  over  the  goal  line  became  a  touch  back. 

Naturally  a  period  of  intensive  experimentation  followed.  In 
1907  the  loss  of  the  ball  on  first  and  second  down  was  changed 
to  a  loss  of  fifteen  yards.  (Football  Guide  for  1907,  pp.  137  and 
168.)  In  1908  the  recovery  of  the  touched  ball  was  restricted 
to  the  eligible  man  who  had  first  touched  it  on  penalty  of  going 
to  the  opponents  at  the  spot.    Also  the  penalty  for  ineligible  men 

4 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  5 

touching  the  ball  was  increased  to  loss  of  the  ball  at  spot  where 
the  pass  was  made  (Football  Guide  for  1908,  pp.  181  and  214). 

Nineteen  ten  and  twelve  brought  the  legal  changes  that  largely 
completed  the  new  game.  In  1910  the  four  periods  were  adopted, 
the  longitudinal  lines  were  omitted,  and  a  pass  and  kick  were  both 
required  to  be  made  from  five  yards  behind  the  line  of  scrimmage. 
A  twenty-yard  zone  beyond  which  the  pass  could  not  go  was  insti- 
tuted. This  was  dropped  again  in  191 2,  the  end  zone  was  added  so 
that  a  team  could  score  on  a  pass,  the  field  shortened  to  three  hun- 
dred yards  and  the  fourth  down  added.  By  many  this  was  regarded 
as  a  direct  blow  to  the  forward  pass  as  it  was  supposed  that  it 
would  mean  an  attempt  at  and  a  possibility  of  making  the  distance 
by  the  old  line  bucking  methods.  This  was  regarded  as  in  line 
with  the  restrictive  action  of  191 1,  by  which  a  pass  touching  the 
ground  either  before  or  after  being  legally  touched  was  ruled  as 
incompleted.  Whatever  the  intention  of  the  originators  may  have 
been  the  fourth  down  has  worked  quite  as  advantageously  to  the 
new  game  as  the  old,  in  that  it  has  given  quarterbacks  an  addi- 
tional down  with  which  to  experiment  and  to  take  chances. 

The  changes  relating  to  the  forward  pass  since  191 2  have  been 
mostly  of  minor  significance.  The  restriction  requiring  the  kicker 
to  be  back  five  yards  was  removed  in  191 3,  the  forward  passer  was 
protected  from  being  roughed  up  in  1914  and  a  ten-yard  penalty 
for  intentional  grounding  of  a  forward  pass  was  imposed.  The 
forward  pass  out  of  bounds  was  ruled  incompleted  in  191 5.  Rela- 
tively little  change  occurred  during  the  war  period  and  there  has 
been  a  feeling  since  that  experimentation  has  gone  far  enough; 
that  the  game  is  very  good  as  it  is,  and  that  coaches,  players  and 
the  public  generally  should  have  a  chance  to  thoroughly  acquaint 
themselves  with  the  present  possibilities.  The  open  game  has 
come  to  stay,  and  attempts  to  further  restrict  it  have  met  with 
strong  opposition. 


CHAPTER  III. 
THE  SPIRAL  PASS  FROM  CENTER. 

Possibly  many  would  not  recognize  the  necessity  for  a  discus- 
sion of  the  spiral  pass  from  the  snapper-back  in  a  presentation  of 
the  forward  pass.  Without  this  spiral  pass,  however,  a  successful 
forward  passing  game  is  greatly  handicapped  if  not  rendered  ab- 
solutely ineffective.  The  reasons  for  this  will  be  presented  in  a 
later  chapter.  Suffice  it  here  to  say  that  the  writer  regards  a  good 
fast,  accurate,  true  spiral  pass  from  the  snapper-back,  that  can  be 
shot  back  speedily  and  accurately  to  a  distance  of  at  least  fifteen 
yards,  as  absolutely  indispensable  to  a  successful  forward  passing 
game.  Ability  to  get  such  a  pass  is  not  possessed  by  every  center, 
nor  by  every  team  even  among  the  better  colleges.  This  failure 
is  due  first  to  a  lack  of  appreciation  of  its  importance,  and  second 
to  an  inability  to  teach  centers  how  to  acquire  this  art. 

The  following  method  of  teaching  this  pass  has  been  found 
effective : 

First :  Have  the  candidate  make  an  ordinary  underhand  spiral 
pass  forward.  This  is  so  simple  and  common  that  almost  every 
player  does  it  automatically.  Have  him  notice  what  he  does. 
Notice  how  the  ball  is  held  as  it  swings  forward  past  the  hip.  The 
hand  is  bent  inward  almost  at  right  angles  to  the  forearm.  Now 
as  the  ball  is  shot  forward  from  the  hand  a  peculiar  pulling, 
lifting  motion  is  made.  This  motion  imparts  the  rotation  to  the 
ball  and  produces  the  spiral.  This  is  the  fundamental  part  of  the 
action.  Essentially  the  same  action  must  now  be  secured  with  a 
backward  pass. 

Second:  Have  the  candidate  make  an  ordinary  underhand 
spiral  pass  backward.  To  many  players  this  will  at  first  seem 
awkward  and  they  may  be  unable  to  control  either  the  direction 
or  the  rotation  of  the  pass.  It  is  not  necessary  to  continue  with 
this  until  it  is  mastered,  but  some  practice  on  it  is  helpful.  Pro- 
ceed soon  to  the  third  step. 

6 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  7 

Third :  Take  position  as  a  center,  right  leg  back  for  a  right 
hander,  swing  the  ball  freely  between  the  legs  with  the  right  hand, 
and  make  a  backward  spiral  pass  between  the  legs.  Work  on 
this  until  a  regular  spiral  is  secured. 

Fourth :  Still  swing  the  ball  freely  from  the  ground  but  place 
the  left  hand  against  the  ball,  pressing  it  more  firmly  against  the 
forearm  and  guiding  the  direction  of  the  ball.  The  right  hand 
may  now  be  a  little  farther  forward  on  the  ball. 

Fifth :  When  the  above  has  been  mastered  take  position  as  in 
the  fourth  step,  then  bending  a  little  more  in  the  hips  and  knees 
place  the  ball,  without  changing  position  of  the  hands,  so  that  it 
touches  the  ground  well  out  in  front.  When  ready  pull  the  ball 
powerfully  with  the  right  hand,  guiding  with  the  left,  and  shoot  it 
back  at  the  chest  of  the  catcher,  at  first  about  seven  yards  back. 
Follow  through  with  the  right  hand  and  as  the  ball  leaves  the  hand 
give  the  pulling,  lifting  snap  described  above  in  number  one  which 
produces  the  real  spiral.  Great  care  must  be  taken  to  see  that  the 
right  hand  is  kept  far  enough  under  and  around  the  ball.  As  soon 
as  the  player  begins  to  lay  it  on  the  ground  he  almost  invariably 
forgets  to  pass  the  hand  far  enough  around  it.  Consequently  he 
loses  his  rotation  and  the  pass  becomes  "wobbly"  and  inaccurate. 

Taught  in  this  way  many  men  acquired  the  idea  of  the  spiral 
pass  from  center  with  great  ease.  Extended  and  constant  practice, 
however,  is  necessary  to  insure  a  consistent  and  accurate  per- 
formance that  can  be  depended  upon  under  fire — ^the  accomplish- 
ment fundamental  to  the  forward  pass. 

Some  men  master  a  very  successful  "backward  spiral  pass  from 
center  with  one  hand.  The  principle  of  this  pass  is  essentially  the 
same  as  that  of  the  closed  grip  overhand  pass  described  later  in 
the  chapter  on  technique  of  passing.  It  requires  a  large  hand 
and  perhaps  a  certain  amount  of  natural  "knack."  It  is  dangerous 
and  less  eflfective  with  a  wet  ball,  but  with  a  dry  ball  ability  to  pass 
in  this  way  with  one  hand  often  adds  greatly  to  the  offensive 
strength  of  the  center. 


CHAPTER  IV. 
TECHNIQUE  OF  THE  FORWARD  PASS. 

The  execution  of  a  good  spiral  forward  pass  is  a  thing  of  real 
beauty  and  art.  It  holds  the  eye  of  spectators  and  players  alike. 
It  is  to  football  what  the  home  run  is  to  baseball.  The  soaring 
flight  of  a  sixty-yard  spiral  is  like  the  rushing  swoop  of  the  daring 
aviator  in  its  charm  and  interest.  To  produce  it  the  player  must 
have  a  good  arm,  master  the  knack  of  it  and  give  long  and 
earnest  practice. 

Practically  all  passes  of  more  than  five  yards  are  executed  as 
spirals.  These  are  of  three  types,  the  underhand,  the  overhand 
with  closed  grip  and  the  overhand  with  open  grip. 

The  Underhand  Spiral. 

This  is  valuable  for  short  distances  where  a  quick  pass  is 
desired.  Its  execution  is  so  easy  and  common  that  no  further 
comment  is  needed  beyond  what  has  already  been  said  in  connec- 
tion with  the  first  part  of  teaching  the  spiral  pass  from  center, 
(page  6). 

The  Overhand  Closed  Grip  Spiral. 

This  pass  is  theoretically  the  correct  and  logical  manner  of 
executing  a  distance  (over  ten  yards)  pass.  The  ball  is  laid  over 
into  the  palm  of  the  right  hand  (for  a  right-hander)  with  the 
fingers  along  and  somewhat  behind  the  lacing  of  the  ball,  the 
thumb  on  the  opposite  side.  The  position  of  the  hand  depends 
largely  on  its  size.  The  smaller  the  hand  the  nearer  the  end  of  the 
ball  it  must  go  and  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  retain  the  ball  in 
the  grasp.  This  type  of  pass  is  therefore  difficult  for  men  with 
small  hands  and  with  a  wet  and  muddy  ball.    In  making  the  throw 

8 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  9 

the  arm  should  be  drawn  backward  over  the  shoulder,  not  down 
around  as  in  a  baseball  throw.  The  nose,  i.e.,  the  forward  point 
of  the  ball,  should  be  well  elevated  and  the  ball  is  then  shot  for- 
ward past  the  ear  at  its  objective.  The  motion  is  somewhat  like 
that  of  a  pitcher,  when  pitching  from  the  shoulder  without  the 
"wind-up,"  with  a  runner  on  first.  As  the  ball  leaves  the  hand 
the  rotation  is  given  by  a  sharp  pull  dozimzvard  and  inward.  The 
most  common  fault  and  cause  of  failure  with  this  pass  is  that  the 
nose  of  the  ball  is  not  kept  up  during  the  forward  motion  of  the 
arm.  To  do  this  the  elbow  must  be  kept  fairly  close  to  the  body 
and  the  little  finger  side  of  the  hand  kept  up.  This  gives  a 
rather  constricted  position  for  throwing  and  most  men  at  first  feel 
unable  to  get  the  desired  distance.  This  comes,  however,  as  one 
acquires  the  knack  of  the  snap  and  the  follow  through  with  the 
body.  When  developed  and  mastered  this  pass  gives  wonderful 
accuracy,  great  speed  and  can  be  shot  directly  to  the  receiver  with- 
out much  elevation.  It  is  therefore  less  likely  to  be  intercepted 
and  is  an  ideal  pass  particularly  for  shorter  distances  up  to  thirty 
yards  and  for  dry  days. 


The  Overhand  Open  Spiral. 

This  pass  is  made  in  general  in  the  same  way  as  the  closed 
grip  spiral,  but  the  thumb  lies  alongside  or  near  the  fingers  and 
the  hand  is  open,  the  ball  lying  in  the  palm  of  the  hand.  It  is 
held  in  position  as  the  throw  is  made  by  the  centrifugal  force  of 
the  swing.  In  making  this  pass  a  bigger  swing  may  be  used,  more 
comparable  to  a  "wind-up"  delivery,  and  consequently  greater  dis- 
tance and  greater  height  may  be  secured.  The  ball  can  be  literally 
"heaved"  out  and  passes  of  fifty  to  sixty  yards  are  easily  possible. 
The  greatest  difficulty  in  the  execution  of  this  as  in  the  closed 
grip  pass  it  to  keep  the  nose  of  the  ball  up.  This  can  be  ac- 
complished, however,  without  bringing  the  hand  in  so  closely  as 
in  the  other,  thus  allowing  opportunity  for  more  individual  pe- 
culiarities. Players  therefore  usually  learn  this  pass  easier  than 
the  other,  and  because  of  its  greater  usefulness  with  a  wet  and 
slippery  ball  is  the  pass  now  most  commonly  used.  Its  chief 
disadvantage  is  the  greater  height  which  it  usually  requires.  This 
tends  to  increase  the  danger  of  interception. 


lO  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 


Receiving  the  Forward  Pass. 

Although  a  great  deal  of  practice  is  usually  given  to  receiving 
forward  passes,  often  very  little  actual  coaching  is  given  on  the 
correct  form. 

Every  receiver  should  be  notified  by  some  method  just  before 
a  pass  is  made  to  him.  At  this  signal  the  receiver  should  turn 
toward  the  point  to  which  the  pass  is  supposed  to  be  made.  This 
should  be  known  on  all  forward  pass  plays.  The  receiver  and 
ball  should  then  meet  at  this  point,  the  receiver  on  the  dead  run 
and  somewhat  sideward  to  the  ball.  It  will  occasionally  happen, 
but  should  rarely  be  necessary,  for  the  receiver  to  take  a  pass 
from  directly  behind  or  even  very  much  over  one  shoulder.  He 
should,  however,  be  able  to  do  it  when  necessary. 

The  actual  catching  of  the  pass  is  not  essentially  different  from 
catching  a  punt  or  any  ordinary  pass.  One  hand  should  be  used  to 
guide  the  ball  into  the  body,  one  hand  should  be  kept  well  under 
the  ball,  the  elbows  should  be  kept  close  and  the  ball  always  be 
brought  in  against  the  body  and  held  securely  against  any  possible 
attack. 


CHAPTER  V. 

FUNDAMENTALS  OF  A  SUCCESSFUL  FORWARD 
PASSLNG  GAME. 

The  forward  pass  has  now  been  a  part  of  offensive  football 
for  fifteen  years.  In  spite  of  that  fact  few  teams  have  developed 
anything  like  a  consistently  successful  ground  gaining  forward 
pass  attack.  Apparently  many  regard  the  forward  pass  simply  as  a 
valuable  threat,  something  for  occasional  use,  something  to  take 
a  chance  with,  something  the  possibility  of  which  makes  the  real 
game  still  workable.  To  a  large  degree  this  has  been  the  attitude 
of  the  larger  colleges.  In  general  they  have  frowned  on  the  for- 
ward pass ;  opposed  it,  sneered  at  it,  called  it  basketball  and  done 
what  they  could  to  retard  its  adoption.  It  has  taken  away  from 
them  the  advantage  of  numbers,  weight  and  power,  made  the 
game  one  of  brains,  speed  and  strategy — even  if  you  please  like 
baseball,  luck, — rendered  the  outcome  of  their  practice  games 
with  smaller  colleges  uncertain.  Why  should  they  have  hastened 
its  development?  Rather  it  has  been  the  smaller  colleges  that 
have  found  in  the  forward  pass  their  opportunity,  which  have 
developed  its  possibilities  until  now  the  larger  ones  as  well  are 
turning  to  it  as  the  final  means  of  winning  their  big  game. 

It  is  doubtless  fair  to  say  that  the  early  development  of  the 
forward  pass  was  largely  due  to  two  teams,  Springfield  College 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  the  Carlisle  Indians.  Their  game  in  1912 
at  Springfield  is  said  by  competent  experts  to  have  been  probably 
the  greatest  exhibition  of  open  football  ever  staged.  It  is  doubt- 
ful if  two  such  finished  exponents  of  the  open  game  have  ever 
met  before  or  since.  To  Coach  J.  H.  McCurdy  of  the  Springfield 
team  goes  the  honor,  in  the  writer's  judgment,  of  the  early  recog- 
nition and  development  of  the  strategy  of  the  forward  pass,  for 
in  this  respect  at  least,  Springfield  excelled  even  the  wonderful 
Indian  teams  produced  by  Glen  Warner.  No  one  team  can  longer 
claim  a  leadership  in  this  or  any  other  department  of  the  game, 

II 


12  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

but  it  is  fair  to  say  that  the  Springfifield  team  has  continuously 
demonstrated  an  unusual  aptitude  for  the  forward  pass  and  a  high 
degree  of  leadership  at  least  among  the  Eastern  teams. 

It  is  not  strange,  in  view  of  the  fact  that  the  great  leaders  of 
football  have  not  taken  more  kindly  to  the  forward  pass,  that  its 
underlying  principles  have  not  been  more  thoroughly  worked  out 
and  organized.  It  is  the  chief  purpose  of  this  work  to  state  if 
possible  some  of  these  principles  and  fundamentals  to  the  end 
that  the  open  game  of  football,  always  in  the  past  and  still  to 
some  extent  opposed  by  certain  groups,  may  be  better  understood, 
more  successfully  coached  and  more  firmly  and  thoroughly  estab 
lished. 

Regular  Ground  Gaining  Play. 

The  first  fundamental  of  a  successful  forward  passing  game  is 
that  the  forward  pass  should  be  used  as  a  regular  ground  gaining 
play  and  not  simply,  as  so  many  teams  seem  still  to  do,  as  a  sort 
of  last  desperate  chance.  With  many  teams  the  attack  may  be 
summarized  practically  in  this  manner :  first  and  second  down, 
runs ;  third  down,  forward  pass ;  fourth  down,  kick.  And  then 
they  wonder  that  the  forward  pass  doesn't  succeed  and  stigmatize 
it  as  a  dangerous,  treacherous  and  unsuccessful  play !  Rather  a 
team  must  have  the  confidence  to  use  it  often  on  first  and  second 
downs,  and  even  on  special,  occasions  on  a  fourth  down.  Not  only 
that,  but  it  must  be  used  frequently,  persistently  and  continuously. 
Nothing  more  disturbs  the  morale  of  defense  than  a  series  of 
forward  passes,  some  of  which  succeed  even  though  a  considerable 
proportion  of  them  are  incompleted.  There  is  always  the  danger 
that  one  may  succeed  and  get  away!  What  proportion  of  the 
running  plays  are  successful  in  the  modern  game?  No  statistics 
exist.  If  the  forward  pass  were  tried  anything  like  as  persistently 
as  the  running  game,  unquestionably  its  percentage  of  success 
would  greatly  increase. 

On  this  basis  the  pass  should  be  used  for  short  as  well  as 
long  gains.  A  running  play  that  gains  two  and  a  half  to  three 
yards  is  regarded  as  successful.  Why  should  not  the  pass  be 
used  in  the  same  way  ?  Passes  that  give  little  or  no  gain  in  them- 
selves, but  put  the  receiver  in  position  for  open  field  running,  and 
at  least  a  few  yards  gain,  disorganize  the  defense,  eventually 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  13 

make  the  long  passes  successful,  spread  the  defense  so  bucking 
becomes  possible,  and  contribute  generally  to  making  the  forward 
pass  a  regular  ground  gaining  play — a  part  of  the  regular  attack. 

Passer  Well  Back. 

The  early  successes  of  the  forward  pass  were  secured  almost 
solely  upon  the  principle  of  putting  the  passer  a  distance  of  fifteen 
yards  back,  then  letting  the  opposing  line  come  charging  through 
absolutely  without  resistance.  Practically  the  whole  offensive 
team  was  sent  down  to  receive  (apparently)  the  pass,  thus  con- 
fusing the  defense  as  to  who  was  eligible  and  furnishing  inter- 
ference as  soon  as  the  pass  was  completed.  By  actual  experiment 
it  was  found  that  a  distance  of  thirteen  to  fifteen  yards  was 
necessary.  Although  lines  are  more  wary  and  experienced  today 
than  formerly,  this  single  piece  of  strategy  is  still  very  valuable. 
Many  teams  are  failing  with  their  passes  simply  because  their 
passer  is  not  more  than  seven  to  ten  yards  back.  The  greater 
distance  gives  a  short  but  vital  length  of  time  for  receivers  to 
get  free  and  for  the  passer  to  pick  out  the  open  man.  It  also 
gives  a  longer  time  for  running  sideward  and  forward,  helping 
to  confuse  the  defense  as  to  whether  a  run  or  pass  is  reall)^  in- 
tended. Add  to  this  the  fact  that  with  the  greater  distance  back 
little  or  no  protection  need  be  given  the  passer,  it  becomes  clear 
that  though  many  plays  can  and  will  be  built  with  the  passer  up 
close  and  running  back  only  the  necessary  legal  distance,  a  big 
distance  back  is  an  important  fundamental. 

This  at  once  brings  out  the  importance  of  the  spiral  pass  back 
from  center,  and  the  ability  to  make,  when  desired,  a  long  for- 
ward pass  of  from  fifty  to  sixty  yards.  Unless  the  snapper-back 
can  make  a  consistent,  accurate,  speedy  pass  to  a  distance  of 
fifteen  or  more  yards  and  can  accurately  lead  his  passer,  no 
advantage  is  gained  by  this  distance  back.  Many  teams  have 
failed  to  put  their  passer  the  necessary  distance  back  because, 
though  they  did  not  recognize  the  real  difficulty,  their  center  was 
not  adequately  getting  the  ball  back  to  him.  Consequently  the 
passer  was  instinctively  creeping  up  closer  and  closer,  being  hur- 
ried in  his  passes  and  often  failing.  The  spiral  pass  back  from 
center  is  an  absolutely  fundamental  requisite  for  a  successful  for- 
ward passing  game. 


14  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

The  ability  also  to  make  long  passes  is  fundamental.  With 
the  secondary  defense  playing  ten  yards  back  and  possibly  cover- 
ing twenty  yards  more,  with  the  passer  fifteen  yards  behind  his 
own  oflFensive  line,  the  pass  going  outward  at  an  angle  must  often 
travel  fifty-five  yards  to  clear  the  secondary  defense.  Although 
such  long  passes  need  not  often  be  used,  the  knowledge  that  the 
offense  possesses  the  ability  to  make  them  is  necessary  to  keep  the 
secondary  defense  back  so  that  short,  sharp  jjasses  may  succeed 
for  the  diconcerting  gains  of  the  regular  ground  gaining  attack. 

Kick,  Run  or  Pass  Possible. 

The  ideal  forward  pass  formation  is  one  from  which  a  kick, 
pass  or  run  is  possible.  As  the  play  starts  it  should  be  difficult 
to  diagnose  whether  a  run  or  pass  is  intended.  In  fact,  as  a 
team  becomes  finished  in  its  performance  it  may  often  switch 
in  its  intention,  running  out  a  play  on  the  call  of  the  passer  that 
was  intended  for  a  pass,  because  the  defense  laid  back  and 
waited ;  and  conversely,  though  not  so  often,  a  pass  may  be  made 
to  an  open  man  on  the  call  of  the  passer,  though  the  signal  called 
for  a  run.  This  represents  high  art  in  team  work  but  it  can  be 
developed.  Much  depends  upon  the  alertness  and  head  work  of 
the  passer  in  this  connection.  Such  changing  of  plan  should  not 
be  allowed  in  the  early  season,  but  it  may  be  encouraged  later 
as  the  team  becomes  unified  and  comes  to  know  itself.  Such  a 
combination,  operating  with  basketball  intuition,  becomes  exceed- 
ingly difficult  to  stop. 

If  in  addidtion  to  this  a  kick  is  occasionally  worked  on  some- 
thing besides  the  fourth  down,  the  game  becomes  a  real  test  of 
wits. 

Naturally  not  every  forward  pass  will  be  "pulled"  from  an 
ideal  formation.  Many  splendid  forward  pass  plays  can  be  built 
up  from  ordinary  close  running,  bucking  formations. 

All  Eligible  Men  Open — "Choice"  vs.  "Mechanical" 
Method. 

An  occasional  forward  pass  play  is  developed  where  only  a 
single  eligible  man  is  open  to  receive  the  pass.  Such  a  play  de- 
pends for  success  upon  its  speed  of  execution,  its  unexpected- 


I 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  15 

ness  and  its  similarity  to  other  regularly  used  running  plays.  A 
few  such  plays  should  of  course  be  included  in  the  team's  attack, 
but  they  are  the  exception  and  when  successful  are  so  because 
of  that  fact.  They  the  more  strongly  emphasize  the  fact  that 
as  a  general  principle  a  regular  forward  pass  play  should  aim 
to  get  as  many  eligible  men  as  possible  open  to  receive  the  pass. 
These  men  should  be  so  spread  that  they  cannot  all  be  covered  by 
the  defense.  The  passer  then  selects  an  open  man  or  the  best 
open  man  to  whom  to  pass. 

This  method  puts  great  responsibility  upon  the  passer.  It  fits 
in  with  the  idea  of  putting  him  well  back  and  giving  him  as  much 
time  as  possible  to  make  his  choice.  It  requires  a  passer  of  special 
mental  type,  and  one  of  considerable  basketball  ability  who  can 
dodge  and  get  his  pass  oflf  accurately  even  when  apparently 
covered.  The  ease  of  choice  can  be  much  facilitated  by  having 
an  order  for  each  play  in  which  the  passer  is  to  look  for  possi- 
bilities. The  first  choice  should  always  be  the  signal  called.  That 
play  should  always  be  made  if  it  is  at  all  possible;  in  early  season 
and  during  practice  it  should  be  executed  whether  possible  or  not. 
But  as  the  passer  develops  ability  he  should  be  allowed  when  the 
pass  signalled  is  covered  to  select  second,  third  and  even  fourth 
choices,  and  the  order  of  looking  for  the  choices  should  be  so 
arranged  that  a  quick  sweep  of  the  field  in  front  of  him  will  give 
the  passer  his  open  men. 

Not  all  coaches  agree  to  the  principle  outlined  above.  Many 
have  had  difficulty  in  finding  passers  who  could  make  the  choice 
required.  They  have  felt,  therefore,  that  plays  had  to  be  designed 
to  special  men,  calling  these  men  to  special  zones,  one  time  one 
place,  next  time  another  place,  and  then  the  play  made  as  quickly 
as  possible  to  this  special  man.  If  the  defense  was  confused 
and  the  man  got  loose,  the  play  succeeded  (barring  mechanical 
failure)  ;  if  he  did  not  it  failed.  This  represents  a  purely  mechan- 
ical method.  It  harks  back  to  the  "old"  game  where  everything 
was  as  mechanical  as  possible  and  there  was  little  need  of  brain 
power  and  little  occasion  to  make  quick  decisions.  The  quarter 
made  the  decisions ;  the  player  did  zvhat  he  was  told  to  do.  The 
new  open  game  is  not  played  that  way ;  it  opens  up  a  world  of 
choice  and  possibility  to  the  player.  Therein  lies  its  greatly  in- 
creased mental  value. 

The  big   reason   that   many   coaches   have    failed    with   the 


l6  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

''choice"  method  of  passing  is  that  their  plays  have  not  been  so 
designed  as  to  give  their  passer  the  necessary  time  for  making 
?  choice.  They  have  allowed  the  defense  to  "hurry"  the  passer. 
Some  of  the  methods  of  preventing  this  have  already  been  indi- 
cated. Occasionally  it  may  happen  that  a  team  possesses  a  passer 
of  great  ability  who  cannot  work  the  "choice"  method.  For  such 
a  player  "mechanical"  plays  must  be  built.  But  the  probabilities 
are  that  many  men  would  develop  this  ability  if  they  were  given 
practice  and  the  opportunity. 

Call  the  Receiver  Before  Passing. 

It  seems  a  very  simple  matter  to  say  that  the  receiver  should 
be  called  before  the  pass  is  made  to  him.  It  seems  so  simple  that 
time  is  rarely  spent  in  practicing  it.  It  is  assumed  that  it  will  be 
done,  but  in  reality  it  is  not  done.  The  usual  thing  is  for  the 
passer  to  hurl  the  ball  into  the  air  and  yell  "ball."  Let  any  coach 
actually  insist  once  on  his  passer  calling  his  man  before  he  passes 
to  him  and  see  what  happens.  And  yet  this  is  exactly  the  thing 
that  will  change  the  forward  pass  game  from  a  happy-go-lucky 
chance  into  a  mathematical  probability.  When  the  passer  calls 
his  man  before  he  passes  he  knows  what  he  is  trying  to  do,  the 
team  knows,  the  receiver  is  given  more  time  to  get  into  position, 
he  is  then  given  a  better  chance  to  catch  the  pass  and  the  rest 
of  the  team  are  given  a  chance  to  form  interference.  It  is  a  small 
thing  to  count  as  heavily  as  it  does,  but  it  is  one  of  the  small 
things  that  make  success. 

Know  Where  the  Receiver  is  to  Go. 

Have  it  clearly  worked  out  on  every  pass  play  where  each 
eligible  man  is  to  go.  This  is  equally  true  in  fact  for  every  man 
on  the  team,  for  every  man  on  the  team  has  something  to  do  on 
a  forzvard  pass.  It  is  just  as  important  on  a  forward  pass  play 
that  each  eligible  man  know  where,  when  and  how  he  is  to  go 
as  it  is  on  running  plays  for  the  interference  to  know  whom  they 
are  to  take.  This  is  where  the  mechanical  part  of  the  "choice" 
method  of  passing  comes  in.  To  a  surprising  degree  this  can  be 
almost  the  same  on  all  plays.  It  will  of  course  vary  somewhat 
with  the  style  of  defense  met,  but  again  surprisingly  little. 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  17 

The  eligible  man  should  seldom  go  directly  to  the  spot  where 
he  will  receive  the  pass  if  it  comes  to  him.  At  the  proper  instant, 
which  should  be  pretty  definitely  timed  for  everybody  on  each 
play,  and  always  at  the  call  of  the  passer,  the  receiver  should  turn 
and  race  to  the  spot  where  he  knows  the  ball  will  be  thrown.  This 
spot  should  have  been  previously  worked  out  so  that  the  passer 
"leads"  the  receiver,  the  latter  being  in  better  position  to  catch 
the  ball  and  on  the  dead  run.  This  should  also  be  so  worked  out 
and  the  preliminary  run  of  the  eligible  man  such,  that  the 
receiver  will  get  the  ball  with  his  body  between  the  ball  and  his 
covering  opponent.  Receiver  and  opponent  should  never  be 
crashing  together  when  struggling  for  a  ball.  It  is  not  only  dan- 
gerous but  poor  strategy. 

In  working  out  the  above  possibilities  some  eligible  men  may 
often  be  used  simply  as  decoys  going  perhaps  almost  straight 
toward  the  defensive  halves  and  forcing  them  to  cover  them, 
making  other  eligible  men  more  surely  available  for  the  pass. 
In  case  the  defensive  halves,  however,  refuse  to  cover  these  de- 
coys, they  should  immediately  be  given  the  pass.  Between  com- 
binations of  this  sort  and  the  problem  of  determining  whether 
a  pass  or  run  is  in  process,  the  position  of  defensive  half  in 
modern  football  is  one  compared  with  which  the  "dizzy  corner" 
in  baseball  is  a  bed  of  roses.  The  fact  is  that  a  team  with  any- 
thing like  a  mechanical  perfection  in  the  passing  game,  and  any 
ability  to  select  its  men  as  above  indicated,  simply  cannot  be 
stopped  in  mid-field.  The  greatest  single  fault  and  the  one  thing 
that  stops  most  teams,  outside  of  mechanical  failure,  is  the  failure 
of  eligible  men  to  spread  widely  enough.  Too  often  two  or  three 
eligible  men  go  to  the  same  zone  or  area  and  a  pass  to  any  one 
of  the  three  can  be  covered  by  a  single  defensive  player.  Instinc- 
tively every  man  on  the  oflfense  tries  to  be  where  he  expects 
the  ball  to  go.  It  must  be  drilled  into  the  players  that  their 
"business"  may  be  decidedly  elsewhere. 

Intkrference. 

Finally,  plan  definitely  for  interference  after  the  pass  is  com- 
pleted. This  is  particularly  true  for  the  shorter  passes.  Insist 
that  every  man  is  in  every  pass  play.  There  is  great  temptation 
for  linemen  to  "take  a  day  off"  when  a  long  pass  is  called  in 


i8  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

which  they  are  not  Hkely  to  figure.  But  they  should  either  be 
protecting  the  passer,  making  it  possible  for  him  to  better  choose 
his  open  man,  or  down  with  the  eligible  men  in  the  shorter  zones 
ready  for  immediate  interference  in  case  that  pass  should  be 
elected.  This  should  be  definitely  mapped  out  with  each  forma- 
tion and  the  receiver  should  know  where  to  find  interference  be- 
hind which  he  can  dodge  the  instant  he  has  received  the  pass. 

Interception. 

The  danger  of  interception,  though  much  over-rated  by  many, 
should  be  carefully  guarded.  The  interception  of  a  long  pass 
often  means  nothing  worse  than  punting  to  the  other  team  would 
have  meant.  Possession  of  the  ball  does  not  count  for  as  much 
as  in  the  old  game.  It  should  never  mean  worse  if  the  danger  of 
interception  is  properly  guarded.  Too  often,  however,  it  means 
a  touchdown  for  the  defense. 

In  the  first  place  when  the  receiver  has  been  called  every 
other  man  on  the  offense  should  instantly  become  alive  as  a  pos- 
sible interferer  or  possible  protector  in  case  of  interception.  It  is 
a  preparedness,  mental  and  physical,  that  is  desired  that  in  itself 
would  probably  prevent  half  of  the  touchdowns  now  made  by 
interception.  A  pass  doesn't  finish  a  play,  it  simply  starts  it — 
and  it  may  start  it  either  zvay. 

In  the  second  place  all  line  men  and  eligible  men  in  the  shorter 
zones,  who  perhaps  can  be  of  no  assistance  on  the  longer  pass, 
should  the  instant  they  find  the  long  pass  in  process  act  as  if 
they  expected  it  to  be  intercepted. 

Finally  the  passer  himself  and  his  immediate  protectors 
should,  the  instant  the  pass  is  off,  cover  for  possible  interception. 
They  are  the  last  and  possibly  by  far  the  most  important  "safety" 
in  case  of  interception. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Suggestive  Forward  Pass  Formations  and  Plays. 

The  previous  chapter  attempted  a  general  statement  of  the 
fundamental  principles  upon  which  a  successful  forward  passing 
game  may  be  built.  It  is  the  purpose  here  to  illustrate  these  by 
definite  formations  and  plays  that  have  been  successfully  used. 


^ 


o|o\o  ^\o    o 


Fig   I —Punt  Formation  Pass. 

The  kick  formation  has  lent  itself  in  many  ways  very  admirably 
to  forward  passing.  A  sHghtly  modified  punt  (Fig.  i)  formation, 
in  which  the  left  end  is  one  yard  back,  one  half  on  the  line,  full 
fifteen  yards  back,  halves  about  three  yards  back,  has  proven 
effective  for  line  bucking,  end  running  right  or  left,  punting  and 
forward  passing.  The  greatest  difficulty  lies  in  getting  the  left 
half  to  go  out  straight  to  the  side  and  be  content  with  a  short 

19 


20 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 


gain.  When  this  happens  a  few  times  someone  from  the  defense 
is  bound  to  try  to  "cover  him.  When  that  is  attempted  the  way 
is  open  for  runs  or  passes  to  left  end  or  tackle.  This  sideward 
threat,  almost  a  pure  lateral  pass,  is  an  important  part  of  the 
strategy  of  the  successful  forward  pass  attack.  Note  in  the  play 
the  direction  and  turning  of  other  eligible  players,  the  position 
of  line  men  for  interference  in  case  of  a  short  pass  over  center 


Fig.  2.— Undesirable  Pass. 


or  outward  to  the  wide  man  and  the  general  protection  for  pos- 
sible interception. 

A  quick  shift  of  left  end  to  the  line  and  right  half  one  yard 
back  (or  even  played  as  it  is)  gives  an  equally  good  formation 
for  nm  or  pass  to  the  right,  the  corresponding  players  going  to 
the  corresponding  positions  and  everybody  swinging  and  turning 
toward  the  right. 

Against  this  type  of  play  contrast  the  above  (Fig.  2) 
which,  though  it  has  often  proven  surprisingly  successful,  seems 
tc  the  writer  to  violate  most  of  the  principles  above  outlined. 
The  ends  coming  in  are  at  no  advantage  over  the  defense.    The 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 


21 


halves  going  outward  have  no  interference  and  there  is  almost 
no  defense  for  possible  interception. 


Fig.  3.— Springfield-Carlisle  Indian  Pass. 

o 


Fig.  4. — Spread  Formation  Pass. 

One  of  the  earliest  successful  forward  pass  formations  was 
a  widespread  one  devised  and  used  by  Dr.  J.  H.  McCurdy  of  the 


29  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

Springfield  team  in  the  Springfield-Carlisle  Indian  g^me  of  1912 
(F'g«  3)-  I"  this  the  line  was  spread  out  practically  across  the 
whole  field.  It  was  used  for  kicking  as  well,  and  the  whole  line 
was  sent  down  to  stop  the  wonderful  Thorpe.  The  play  was  good 
enough  to  produce  twenty-four  points  against  the  wonderful 
Indian  team  of  that  year,  although  the  game  was  won  by  the 
Indians  30-24. 

The  play  is  given  here  partly  because  of  its  historical  value, 
but  also  because  the  principle  is  still  good. 

Spread  formations  somewhat  modified  from  the  above  are 
still  proving  very  successful,  the  following  serving  to  again  illus- 
trate the  principles  of  the  preceding  chapter  (Fig.  4), 

In  this  formation  tackles  are  out  seven  to  ten  yards,  halves 
about  three  yards  back  and  full  is  back  thirteen  to  fifteen  yards. 
From  this  formation  line  bucks,  end  runs,  double  pass  end  runs, 
kicks  and  forward  passes  may  be  used.  Quick  variations  may 
also  be  made  to  make  tackles  eligible  if  desired. 

The  formations  outlined  will  doubtless  sufficiently  illustrate 
the  principles  discussed.  There  is  no  limit  to  the  possibilities. 
The  kick  and  spread  formations  here  given  alone  possess  sufficient 
possibilities  for  a  team's  entire  season's  repertoire  of  open  plays. 
A  common  mistake  is  to  attempt  too  large  and  varied  an  assort- 
ment of  these  plays. 


CHAPTER  VII. 
DEFENSE  FOR  THE  FORWARD  PASS. 

There  is  no  defense  for  the  forward  pass.  In  reality  the  pass 
cannot  be  prevented,  particularly  in  the  center  of  the  field.  Yet 
from  the  unwillingness  of  some  of  the  great  football  leaders  to 
adopt  this  style  of  game  one  would  infer  that  it  is  a  worthless 
game,  difficult  to  succeed  with  and  easy  of  defense.  This  is  the 
point  of  view  of  a  number  of  teams.  Yet  it  is  interesting  to 
note  that  these  are  the  very  teams  that  have  had  no  adequate 
forward  pass  defense. 

Thus  far  most  teams  have  trusted  to  luck  against  the  forward 
passing  game.  The  inefficiency  and  mechanical  errors  of  its 
offense,  aided  by  the  restrictive  legal  measures  adopted,  have  con- 
spired to  make  this  possible.  Signs  are  not  lacking,  however, 
to  indicate  a  greatly  increased  use  of  the  passing  game,  an  im- 
proved understanding  and  appreciation  of  its  fundamental  prin- 
ciples and  a  much  greater  degree  of  success  for  it.  The  defense 
for  the  forward  pass  will  need  to  be  studied  with  great  care  in 
the  immediate  future. 

The  writer  does  not  pretend  to  have  solved  this  problem.  His 
interest  has  been  rather  on  the  other  side.  The  following  sug- 
gestions are  offered  simply  as  a  beginning: 

First,  "hurry  the  pass."  Some  man  or  men,  not  the  entire 
line,  should  go  through  and  force  the  pass  at  the  earliest  possible 
moment,  downing  the  passer,  blocking  the  pass  or  forcing  it  to 
be  made  before  the  eligible  men  are  ready  or  the  passer  has  been 
able  to  locate  them.  This  greatly  increases  the  chance  of  mechan- 
ical failure.  Generally  this  should  be.  done  by  the  ends.  Some 
teams  send  the  tackles  in  also.  Some  send  tackles  in  and  have 
the  ends  wait.  This  frequently  helps  against  the  pass  but  makes 
end  running  very  easy. 

Second,  block  eligible  men.  This  of  course  can  only  be  done 
before  the  pass  is  made.    But  there  is  often  an  appreciable  time 

23 


24  THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL 

before  the  pass  is  made  when  ehgible  men  could  be  blocked  on 
the  line  of  scrimmage.  This  is  the  best  work  of  the  center  trio 
rather  than  charging  through. 

Third,  play  a  zone  defense  having  each  defensive  back  cover 
an  area  and  play  the  ball  coming  into  that  area  rather  than  at- 
tempt to  follow  individually  eligible  men. 

Fourth,  use  the  open  defense  (Fig.  5)  ;  that  is,  play  the  center 
out  of  the  line  and  with  the  full  back  about  three  yards  behind 
tackle.  This  defense  is  supposed  to  make  center  bucking  easy,  but 
it  does  not  if  the  defensive  line  is  properly  coached.  This  first  line 


Q     9    <U9    9     9 

\    xxx®xx  X  / 

t 


X  ^  X 

Fig  5.— Open  Defense. 

of  secondary  defense  is  in  position  to  intercept  short  passes  or  to 
help  stop  eligible  men  on  the  scrimmage  line.  They  are  also 
in  the  best  possible  position  to  assist  on  outside  tackle  and  end 
runs  while  still  in  position  to  block  center  bucks.  In  the  judg- 
ment of  the  writer  this  is  the  best  all-round  defense  yet  devised 
for  the  modern  open  game  of  football. 

The  open  defense  should  be  played  as  follows :  Guards  play 
to  the  center,  low,  hard  and  stalling,  not  knifing  through.  Tackles 
fight  their  way  into  the  play  through  opposing  end.  Ends  play  as 
close  as  possible,  often  not  over  two  yards  outside  their  own 
tackle  and  tear  into  every  play  smashing  the  interference  and 
hurrying  passes.  Center  and  full  play  about  three  yards  behind 
tackle,  usually  a  trifle  inside  and  wait  until  they  diagnose  the  play, 


THE  FORWARD  PASS  IN  FOOTBALL  25 

then  meet  it.  These  men  must  be  the  best  tacklers  on  the  team 
and  fast,  for  if  the  tackles  and  ends  accomplish  their  work  these 
men  have  their  opportunity.  Backs  play  from  seven  to  ten  yards 
back  and  nearly  straight  behind  end.  Quarter  or  safety  man 
should  play  as  close  as  he  dares  to,  considering  the  possibility 
of  quick  punts.  This  may  be  generally  closer  than  most  quarters 
play. 

The  defense  with  spread  formations  and  for  special  plays  is 
still  too  much  a  matter  of  individual  opinion  to  be  discussed  here. 


52851 


BASEBALL  NOTES 

FOR 

COACHES  and  PLAYERS 


BY 

ELMER   BERRY 

FOOTBAtL  AND  BASEBALL  COACH 

International  Y.  M.  C.  A.  College 
Springfield,  Mass. 


REVISED  EDITION 


A  practical  handbook  on  the  game  of  baseball,  arranged 
in  outline  note  form  so  that  the  book  may  become  truly 
a  useful  repository  of  baseball  knowledge  and  practice. 

CONTENTS 
Batting 
Bunting 

Base  Running  and  Stealing 
Position  Play 
Offensive  Team  Play 
Defensive  Team  Play 
Battery  Strategy 
Training  a  College  Team 
Organized  Baseball 

8vo  cloth,  illustrated  with  cuts  and  diagrams  of  actual  play. 
Interleaved  with  blank  pages  for  notes,  etc.     Price  $2.00 

A.  S.  BARNES  &  CO.,  Publishers 
NEW  YORK 


\LlFORNIA  AT  LOS  ANGELES 

VERSITV  '  "^RARY 


SOUTHERN  BRAN<-ri, 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

LIBRARY, 

,LOS  ANGELES.  CALIF. 


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